Tube and similar container for plastic and viscous substances



I. MARCHER May 29, 1934.

TUBE AND SIMILAR CONTAINER FOR PLASTIC AND VISCOUS SUBSTANCES FiledMarch 8, 1932 i zg Patented May 29, 1934 TUBE AND SIMILAR. CONTAINERPLASTIC AND VISCOUS SUBSTANCES Ignaz Marcher, Vienna, AustriaApplication Match 8, 1932, Said No. 597,532

In Austria April 21, 1931 6 Claims. (01. 91-07.!)

This invention relates to tubes and similar containers for plastic andviscous substances, such as adhesives, creams, colouring matter, and thelike,

and has for its object to provide such containers with accessory meanspermitting of the uniform distribution or spreading of the contentsdirectly from the orifice of the container. In accordance with theinvention a distributing or. spreading member is provided which isarranged to be freely 10 'slidable in the neck of the tube together withthe substance to be expressed, and which is provided with a stop orother means for limiting its forward movement. Such stops are formed ofcollars, clasps, springs, and the like. In use, the compression oi. thetube in the usual manner causes the distributing member to be expelledtogether with the substance in the tube until arrested by the stop,after which the tube is ready for the direct application of the contentsin a convenient and uniform manner to any surface on which it isrequired. After use, the distributing member is simply pressed back intothe neck of I the tube. after which the latter is closed in the usualmanner by means of a screw cap or the like.

Since the distributing member, which may consist of one or more smallsponges, flaps, pads, brushes, or'the like, is embedded in the plasticsubstance when not in use and is adapted on the squeezing of the tube tobe expelled together with a certain quantity of the substance, it willbe clear that this member is kept always supple and ready for immediateuse. This feature distinguishes the tube provided by the presentinvention from known tubes in which a distributing member is providedwhich is fixedly mounted out of contact with the contents, and in whichthe plastic substance has to be supplied to this member through passageswhich become particularly readily stopped or clogged up. Further, tubesof which the neck is completely filled out with any kind of means fordistributing the contents, whether flexible or otherwise provided theyare fixed and not movable, are only adapted for use with thinly liquidsubstances and not with viscous adhesives, pastes, creams, and the like.In consequence of the fact that in the tube according to the presentinvention the distributing member is freely slidable in the neck of thetube and is embedded in the tube is left open, merely a thin skin oftheplastic substance hardens across the orifice, and this skin isbrokenas soon as the tube is squeezed,

and at the same time the distributing member is expelled in a state tobe used immediately.

A further feature of the invention consists in the provision in the neckof the tube of notches or grooves into which elastic means on thedistributing member are adapted to enter for spring engagement, so thatthe pressure required for the distributing operation can be exertedwithout the distributing member being thereby pushed back in the neck ofthe tube, and merely additional 5 pressure suflices to enable thedistributing member to be returned before closing the tube. This featureis particularly suitable for tubes containing pastes, such as cosmeticcream and the like, in which case the distributing member can take 7 theform of a solid or perforated rubber hemisphere having a small flangefor limiting its movementin the neck of the tube.

In order to facilitate the outflow of partieu iarly viscous substancesthere can also be pro- 7 vided in the neck of the tube one or morechannels or grooves which permit of the passage of the substance betweenthe distributing member and the inner surface of the neck of the tube.The movabledistributing member can also be 30 provided. in a separateneck or extension piece adapted to be mounted on an ordinary tube. Inthe latter case it is also possible to house the distributing memberpartly in the neck proper of the tube, as will be described in duecourse.

In the following description reference should be had to the figures ofthe accompanying drawing in which the subject matter of the invention isillustrated with the aid of several constructional examples. In thisdrawing Fig. 1 shows one form of the tube in accordance with theinvention in the closed state, and partly in section, while Fig. 2 showsthe same tube in the open condition and ready for use.

The tube 1 (Fig. 1) of collapsible material is provided in its neck 2,which is adapted to be closed by means of the screw cap 3, with a smallsponge 4 as distributing member. With this sponge there is incorporatedthe spread spring 5.

As can be seen from Fig.2, which shows the sponge 4 expressed bysqueezing of the tube, this spring 5 limits the extent to which thedistributing member can emerge from the tube. Fig. 3 illustrates inperspective view the manner in which for example an adhesive is appliedto a surface 6 from the tube 1 by means of the sponge 4. Fig. 4 showsthe tube neck 2 provided with a brush '7 as distributing member in placeof the sponge 4 shown in Figs. 1-3. In the modifled-form shown in Fig. 5the brush '1 is provided with a holder or ferrule 8 which is forked asto its lower part to form elastic tongues 9. Fig. 6 shows a similarbrush 7 with a stop formed of a wrapped thread 10. In Fig. 7 the brush arubber hemisphere 13 as distributing member,

this latter having a head 14 to serve as a stop in the neck 2. IFig. 10shows a tube neck 2 having an annular groove 15 with which the stop onthe brush 7 can engage by means of'an elastic ring or bead 16. In orderto enable the distributing member to be inserted in the finished filledtube and to be held in position therein, an indentation 17 is impressedin the neck 2 after the insertion of the distributing member 7, as shownin Fig. 11, which indentation serves as a stop to the forward movementof the distributing member. In Figs. 12 and 13 distributing members 7are shown which are provided on their collar 11 with springs 18 and 19which can be compressed to enable the distributing member to be insertedin the neck 2 from the front end, and which spring apart in the interiorof the neck and then serve to limit the movement of this member in theneck. Fig. 14 shows a further modification in which the distributingmember -20, 20 is split or forked and a transverse pin 21 passingthroughthe gap be' tween the two portions limits the movement of thismember. Fig. 15 shows the arrangement of longitudinal channels orgrooves 22 in the tube neck 2 for the purpose of facilitating theoutflow of theplastic substance. In the modified form shown in Fig. 16there is mounted on the neck proper 2 of the tube 1 a separate neck orextension piece 23 which is adapted to be closed by means of a cap 24,and which serves to house the distributing member 7 which latter ispartly slidable in the tube neck 2. In the form shown in Fig. 17theseparate extension piece 25 is so constructed that it receives thedistributing member 7 in its entirety. A cap 26 serves "for the closureof this extension piece 25.

I claim: 1. In a collapsible tube for containing viscous substances andhaving a neck, a stemless brush freely slidable in the neck of the tubeand submerged in the contents of the latter when in inoperativeposition, said brush being adapted to be extruded from the neck of thetube together with a portion of the contents thereof by pressure appliedto the tube, and stop means on said brush for limiting the outwardmovement thereof.

2. In a collapsible tube for containing viscous substances and having aneck, a stemless brush freely slidable in the neck of the tube andsubmerged in the contents of the latter when in inoperative position,said brush being adapted to be extruded from the neck of the tubetogether with a portion of the contents thereof by pressure applied tothe tube, and a ferrule on said brush for limiting the outward movementthere- 0 3. In a collapsible tube for containing, viscous substances andhaving a neck, a stemless brush freely slidable in the neck of the tubeand submerged in the contents of the latter when'in inoperativeposition, said brush being adapted to be extruded from the neck of thetube together with a portion of the contents thereof by pressure appliedto the tube, a ferrule on said brush, and spread springs on said ferrulefor limiting the outward movement of the brush.

4. In a collapsible tube for containing viscous substances and having aneck, a stemless brush freely slidable in the neck of the tube andsubmerged in the contents of the latter when in inoperative position,said brush being adapted-to be extruded from the neck of the tubetogether with a portion of the contents thereof by pressure applied tothe tube, and spread springs attached directly to the brush for limitingthe outward movement thereof.

5. In a collapsible tube for containing viscous substances and having aneck, a stemless brush freely slidable in the neck of the tube andsubmerged in the contents of the latter when in inoperative position,said brush being adapted to be extruded from the neck of the tubetogether with a portion of the contents thereof by pressure applied tothe tube, and stop means on said brush for limiting the outward movementthereof, said neck having grooves therein for the passage of the viscoussubstance between said neck and said brush.

6. In a collapsible tube for containing viscous substances and having aneck, a stemless brush freely slidable in the neck of the tube andsubmerged in the contents of the latter when in inoperative position,said brush being adapted to be extruded from the neck of the tubetogether with a portion of the contents thereof by pressure applied tothe tube, said neck having a groove therein, and a stop member on saidbrush for limiting the outward movement thereof and being elastic andadapted to engage in said groove.

. IGNAZ MARCHER.

